While "The Washington Post" should receive some credit for a story that exposes the dysfunction and infighting on the Washington DC city council the paper and its "The Root.com" subsidiary should be called out for its myopia.
Washington DC's legislative arm is merely another instance of a "Mission Accomplished City" that is a single party zone that has intramural cliquish fighting that often derails the city business.
- Atlanta
- Atlanta School Board
- Philadelphia
- Yeadon PA
- Newark (I wonder if they'll have a "Brick City Season 3"?)
- Detroit
- Los Angeles
- Clayton County GA Board Of Commissioners
- Clayton County School Board
- SCLC Board
- NAACP Atlanta Chapter Board
The list goes on and on.
The vision voiced by Bayard Rustin regarding the uplift of the Black community as a result of voting for Democrats who would advance "progressive public policy" has not only been squandered by the failure to inspect the ability of these policies to actually work - the "rank & file" who are driven to advance these policies also are loathed to place the necessary check upon the "favorable people in power".
Absent the fear of the wrath from voters that keep them in line - those who have grown a sense of entitlement to the positions of power they now hold have functionally lost touch with their original mandate.
If The Washington Post was serious about correcting this dysfunction they would have gone further in detailing the PATTERN and its root cause.
We are treated to endless volumes of articles about the partisan differences that are the case in the US House and Senate. From this inferences are made about the fraudulent by the opposition party - depending upon one's own reference. Some even claim that racism is the driver of one party in particular.
When it comes to intramural "Progressive Clique A" versus "Progressive Clique B" battles - I have seen no progressive journalist express the "intellectual curiosity" to consider this issue and then translate it to the harm done upon the constituents.
After years of struggle for political power, the once lily White suburb of Philadelphia called "Yeadon" found itself disabled by fighting on their town council. The 7 member council was made into a stalemate a few years ago as the seventh member was found to have had a criminal conviction that he was not forthcoming with. This disqualified him from holding office. Upon his resignation the 3 Democrat on 3 Democrat factions that remained could not carry forth the city business due to their personal hatred for one another that spilled over to their professional capacity.
- Black On Black Elected Official Hostilities in Yeadon PA - The "Plantation Mistress"
- Yeadon - Things Will Be Better When WE Get Into Power - NOT
Racio-Ideological pride cannot supplant the need for the community to keep a watchful eye upon their government officials. They will often use racial and ideological points of confidence to cover their tacks.
I would like to believe that this "quest for power" is merely a phase in the development of the Black community, that the prevailing evidence will later cause the masses to come to their senses and lean upon those they have invested in, demanding a solid return on investment.
The truth is that this is not going to happen.
NOT without people who are seeing what is going on and are willing to go against the grain.
Step up - The Root.com - when are you doing to do your job - advancing the interests of the Black community and not just your ideology?
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